Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exhibit 9.1
NIJ Standard for the Ballistic Resistance of Police Body Armor
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this standard is to establish minimum performance require-
ments and methods of testing for the ballistic resistance of police body armor
intended to protect the torso against gunfire. This standard is a revision of NIJ
Standard-0101.02, dated March 1985, clarifying the labeling requirements,
acceptance criteria, and backface signature measurement procedure. The
scope of the standard is limited to ballistic resistance only; the standard does
not address threats from knives and sharply pointed instruments, which are
different types of threat. In addition, the standard does not address armor that
incorporates inserts, or variations in construction of the ballistic panel over
small areas of the torso, for the purposes of increasing the basic level of pro-
tection of the armor (whether ballistic or blunt trauma) on localized areas.
2. CLASSIFICATION
Police body armors covered by this standard are classified into seven types,
by level of ballistic protection performance.
1
The classification of an armor
panel that provides two or more levels of ballistic protection at different loca-
tions on the ballistic panel shall be that of the minimum ballistic protection
provided at any location on the panel.
As of 1987, ballistic-resistant body armor suitable for routine full-time
wear throughout an entire shift of duty is available in types I, II-A, and to a
limited extent type II (depending largely upon the climate) which will provide
protection from common handgun threats. Type III-A, which will provide pro-
tection from 9 mm submachine guns and 44 Magnum handguns using the test
rounds, and types III and IV, which will protect against high-powered rifles,
are normally considered to be special purpose armor most appropriate for
use during tactical operations. See Appendix A.
1
The ballistic threat posed by a bullet depends, among other things, on its composition,
shape, caliber, mass, angle of incidence, and impact velocity. Because of the wide variety of
cartridges available in a given caliber, and because of the existence of hand loads, armors
that will defeat a standard test round may not defeat other loadings in the same caliber. For
example, an armor that prevents penetration by a 357 Magnum test round may or may not
defeat a 357 Magnum round with higher velocity. In general, an armor that defeats a given
lead bullet may not resist penetration by other rounds of the same caliber of different con-
struction or configuration. The test ammunition specified in this standard represent common
threats to law enforcement officers.
